A Gift of the Heart
by secondglantz
Summary: One-shot written for the Anything Goes Under the Mistletoe contest. Bella and Edward aren't allowed to buy C-mas gifts for each other; they can give gifts of the heart only. Will Edward accept the gift that Bella offers? Canon. M for language and lemons.


**The Sandbox Presents: Anything Goes Under the Mistletoe**

**Author: **SecondGlantz

**Story Title:** A Gift of the Heart

**Rating: **MA for language and LEMONS

**Vamp or Human:** Vamp

**Number of Words (not including A/N or header/footer):** 3,724

**Disclaimer:** I wish I was Stephenie Meyer, but I'm not. The Twilight Saga and its characters belong to her. No copyright infringement is intended.

**Please visit the Anything Goes Under The Mistletoe C2 to find more contest entries --**

**.net/community/The_Sandbox_Presents_Anything_Goes_Under_the_Mistletoe/76627/**

A/N: This is my first attempt at FF. It will probably also be my last because it was WAY too much fun. I'd like to send a huge thanks to MeadowC for being my beta, a source of encouragement, and a lifeline that helps keep me sane in the real world. If you haven't read her story Frozen Spring, be sure to bookmark it! And thanks to Mr. SecondGlantz for being supportive when I told him I was planning to spend the holiday writing smut. Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoy.

**Bella POV**

"Are you ready for your present now, Love?" Edward asked lowly, a tinge of excitement lurking behind his hooded eyes.

The way he looked at me made me catch my breath as I thought ahead to the gift I planned to give him. "Edward," I started, "I'm not ready to give you my gift until later."

"That's not what I asked. Come on," he smirked. Before I knew it, we were up the stairs, outside his room. "Go ahead," he said, motioning for me to enter.

I looked at him curiously, my hand hesitant on the doorknob before pushing the door open. Pressing his hand on the small of my back, he gently ushered me inside and toward the couch.

Edward sat me down and moved across the room to retrieve a large, square box that was beautifully wrapped, presumably by Alice. My eyes were drawn to the shelves behind him, which seemed more scantily filled that usual. But I couldn't put my finger on what was missing.

Sitting beside me, Edward held the box for me to take. I looked at him incredulously and shook my head, "No, Edward. We weren't supposed to buy each other anything, remember? Gifts of the heart only. Those were the rules."

He chuckled. "You're so cute when you get indignant."

"It's not funny, Edward." The way I huffed and crossed my arms, I might as well have whined _it's not fair_ and stomped out of the room like a child who hadn't gotten her way.

"Bella." The way he sang my name made me soften, to my dismay. "Love, if you open it, you'll find that its contents have no monetary value. In fact, it holds very little value at all except to me and possibly – hopefully – to you."

I took the box from him, a mixture of curiosity, excitement, and embarrassment coursing through my body. Fumbling with nervous fingers, I stripped the box of its wrapping. He stared at me intently as I removed the lid and looked inside.

"Oh, Edward!" I gasped. "It's… I…" I struggled to find the words as I gently touched the leather-bound journals that were missing from his shelf. My mouth still open, I looked up at him and let the tears spill over as I thanked him. "Edward, this is the most beautiful gift anyone has ever given me. Thank you."

He wiped the tears from my eyes, his thumb tracing the curve of my cheekbone, before resting his hand at the base of my neck. "My heart and soul belong to you, Bella. And now you'll know everything in it."

I threw my arms around his neck, bursting with love, hoping that my gift made him half as happy as his made me.

_My gift. _I needed to get it ready.

I slowly broke from our embrace. "I can't wait to read these, Edward," I gestured to the box. "I'm afraid my gift isn't as… insightful," I said with sudden poignancy.

"Bella, you already gave me the biggest gift of the heart earlier this year when you told me you love me."

I felt the heat rising to my face. "Well, I'm not done yet," I said quickly. "Give me an hour, and then come to the house." With a fleeting kiss, I was out the door, leaving him to ponder the question that was forming on his lips.

**Edward POV**

Part of me wanted to tell her to forget my present. It would have been gift enough to hold her and watch her read my journals. Her reaction to receiving them was so much better than how I had seen her respond in Alice's mind.

I was excited that this would allow her to know _all_ of me, including the monster I worked everyday to overcome. Maybe it would help her understand why I couldn't turn her.

My family worked hard to stay out of my way, thinking about their sexcapades to keep me out of their brains. I meandered around the house, trying to waste the hour I had to wait before seeing Bella again.

It was obvious that Alice was in on the secret, her every thought in the past week focused on math, fashion, or the catalog of sexual positions she and Jasper had tried.

"_Dammit, Alice! Why can't you recite Shakespeare or something? I really don't need to know the many ways my sister fucks her husband."_

"_Just think of it as inspiration," she shrugged._

Thankfully, Jasper interrupted the revolting thoughts. "You have a few minutes for a quick hunt, man?"

"As long as you promise not to think about doing my sister the whole time."

"How about a replay of _Star Wars_ instead?"

I assented and joined Jasper in search of an elk to pass the time.

Forty-five minutes and two elk later, I was completely full and anxious to see Bella. I ran to her house and found a note on the front door:

E,  
I'm running a little late. Make yourself comfortable. Charlie will be at the Reservation 'till late.  
B

I was thoroughly annoyed at Bella's lack of concern for her safety, letting anyone who walked up to her front door know that her dad was gone for the day. I ripped the note off the door and settled on the couch. Just as I was about to turn on the TV, I heard a noise coming from Bella's bedroom.

My mind immediately jumped to Victoria. _What if she came back to avenge James's death? What if she had seen Bella's note?_

In the next instant, I was up the stairs and in front of Bella's bedroom door. I could hear no thoughts coming from the room. I threw open the door. What I saw stopped my breath.

Bella was sprawled out on top of her bed, wearing a baby blue teddy that tied beneath her perky breasts, the ruffled sides flying outward to reveal her beautiful stomach.

If it were possible for me to still sweat, I would have broken out in one right there. Unfortunately, not all of my human reactions were dead. My dick continued to betray me as my eyes followed her honey trail to see a thin, frilly strip of fabric barely covering her most private part. And – _holy shit_ – was that a picture of mistletoe on the front of her thong? I could taste the venom begin to pool in my mouth as I imagined kissing her under that mistletoe. My fantasies hadn't prepared me for how stunning – and seductive – she looked.

Bella had decided to give herself to me for Christmas – all of her. The look in her eye was full of lust, practically begging me to accept this gift. No mixed signals there. I obviously couldn't allow it, though there was nothing I wanted to give her (and myself) more, but I had to be careful with how I let her down. She had exposed herself in a way she never had before, making herself completely vulnerable to me. I didn't want to crush her esteem, but it'd be better than crushing her literally, which is what would happen if I allowed her to give me this gift.

"Bella," I began softly. "You look… amazing." The word didn't do her justice. No word did.

I perched on the edge of the bed and took her face in my hands, seeing the love and longing I felt reflected in her eyes. "This gift that you want to give me means more to me than you could ever know…"

Before I could finish my sentence, her lips were on mine. She remained perfectly still, behaving herself without reminder, as if she had been rehearsed. For a moment, I wondered if it were possible to give her what she wanted. Maybe if I concentrated really hard and remained focused, I could keep myself from hurting her.

Wincing at the fact that I had let myself entertain the thought for even a fraction of a second, I pulled my lips from hers, more slowly than I should have. Bella rested her forehead on mine. "Bella…"

"Don't say it, Edward. Please." She shook her head against mine, keeping her eyes down.

I raised her chin, but she kept her eyes averted. "Look at me, Love." When she finally did, I could see that she was fighting back tears. "Bella, there is nothing I want more than you – all of you." I pointed at the tent in my pants so that she knew I was telling the truth. She blushed, but brightened a little at the proof that I wanted her in that way.

"I wish I could act on my want, but…"

"You can," she said matter-of-factly. "Alice has seen it, and you won't hurt me."

At that moment I had a want much greater than bedding Bella; I wanted to throttle that damn pixie for giving Bella false hope.

Just then, I heard a voice downstairs. "It's true, Edward. You won't hurt her."

I clenched my jaw. "You'll have to excuse me for a moment. We're not as alone as we thought."

"Who?" Bella asked in alarm.

"Just Alice." I said her name with a little more hate than necessary.

"It's not her fault, Edward." But I was already up and walking out the door. "I asked her to look!" she called after me.

I flew down the stairs and stopped right in front of Alice, speaking to her in a whisper too low for Bella to hear. "What did I tell you about keeping your visions to yourself?" I snarled.

"Edward," she said, a faint smirk on her lips. "I didn't see it only when Bella asked me to look. For a moment up there, you had decided to go through with it."

"It was irresponsible of me to consider it, and you know it," I spat.

She shook her head. "You think that you don't deserve this kind of happiness, but you do. And so does Bella." She started to replay part of the vision that she had seen minutes earlier so that I could see it.

"Don't! Please," I begged. Seeing it would only make it more difficult to resist.

She ignored me, her smirk turning into a full-blown smile as she watched Bella and me inside her mind, unclothed, in each other's arms under the covers. I could almost feel the pure bliss that was clearly visible on both of our faces.

"See? You have much more control than you realize. And Jasper made sure that you fed."

I felt completely betrayed by my family, angry they went along with something that they knew would put Bella in harm's way. I knew what I should do, and yet – I couldn't get Alice's vision out of my mind. Was it really possible that I could make love to Bella without hurting her? The look of happiness on her face in the vision made me want to at least try.

Alice smiled at me as she saw me make my decision. She bounced on the balls of her feet to give me a quick kiss on the cheek. "You won't regret your decision, Edward. You can trust yourself – and her – to do this. Merry Christmas." And with a wink, she was gone.

I stayed downstairs, trying to figure out the best… strategy… for allowing Bella to give me this gift without hurting her. Her dejected whisper interrupted my thoughts.

"Edward?" she looked at me through her lashes from the top of the stairs.

I knew we had to set ground rules, but I also knew that at this point, the only way to convince her that I wanted her was to _show_ her. I bounded up the stairs, scooped Bella up in my arms, and carried her over the threshold of her bedroom. I gently laid her down on the bed in the crook of my arm, my other hand on her bare stomach. Her heartbeat quickened, and her body flushed with heat under my hand. I had to set the ground rules fast, before we both lost control.

"Can we talk first, Love?"

"First?" she questioned, turning to me with a look of confusion on her face.

"I want this, too, Bella. But -"

"Right, but you can't," she interrupted in a quavering voice, throwing my hand off her and rolling to her side in an attempt to get out of bed.

I let her get to a sitting position at the edge of the bed before putting my arm around her waist to stop her. "I can, and we will," I whispered in her ear.

She turned toward me, a mixture of excitement and disbelief in her expression. She threw her arms around me before I had a chance to stop her, but I managed to turn my head to avoid her open mouth that was looking to devour my lips. "Wait!" I pried her arms from around my neck to put a little space between us, taking her hands in mine. "That kind of impulse is what can get you hurt, Bella." I bent my head to meet her lowered gaze. "We can only do this if we're both willing to go slowly and carefully. And you have to be completely honest in letting me know if I'm hurting you."

"You could never hurt me, Edward."

"Promise me, Bella." I squeezed her hands for emphasis.

"I promise."

I laced my fingers through her left hand, raising her palm to meet my lips, and slowly, carefully kissed her palm, her wrist, and down her arm to her elbow. Then I released her other hand to brush her hair to one side so that I could continue kissing up her arm to her neck and behind her ear. Her mouth opened and let out a groan. Between the sound of her pleasure and the smell of her blood pulsing underneath my mouth, I could barely keep the animal inside from ripping off my clothes and attacking her.

I slowly brought her down to the bed with me, resuming our former position. I gently stroked her hair and softly placed a kiss on her lips. "I love you, Isabella Swan."

She circled my cheekbone with her thumb. "I love you too, Edward," and she kissed me back with restrained passion, wary of getting carried away lest I stop.

I moved my hand from her head down her neck and ran my fingers lightly down her breastbone. Bella gasped, her pulse racing, as I stopped my hand below her cleavage to untie her teddy. I held her gaze as I slipped my hand under her negligee and gently caressed her breast. Her eyes closed as she threw her head back, panting. I brushed the fabric away and looked down in admiration at the beauty I uncovered. "Bella. Love, you're even more beautiful than I imagined." Very delicately, I kissed and licked her breast, watching as I pushed aside the remaining fabric and carefully palmed her other one. I watched as her nipple reacted to my soft squeeze.

"Edward," she moaned. The guttural tone in which she said my name drove me insane, and I had to suppress an instinctual growl.

I moved my mouth to her other breast, covering my teeth with my lips so that I wouldn't be tempted to bite as I sucked on her erect nipple. Bella raked one hand through my hair and tugged, the nails of her other hand digging into my shoulder as she arched her back with a loud moan.

"Behave yourself, Love," I reminded her, though my body craved the opposite. I longed to know the depths of her passion, but I wouldn't risk it.

"Sorry, just… please… don't stop," she pleaded in a ragged breath.

Hearing her plea woke up the 17-year-old pervert that I had been ignoring my entire afterlife. I wanted to hear her beg for more. "You want more, Love?" I teased in a sadistic way.

"Oh, _yes_!"

If she was this turned on by me paying attention to her _above_ the waist, I couldn't wait to find out how she would react to attention further down. And wait I didn't.

In the next instant I slipped the teddy off her shoulders and took off my shirt to make her feel less exposed than she probably already did. I rolled over, bringing her with me, so that we were both on our sides, facing each other. Tucking my hand in her hair at the nape of her neck, I ran the other one down her side and let it rest on her hip as I kissed her. She was on her best behavior, lying perfectly still as she very slowly opened her mouth to let my tongue explore.

As I moved my mouth down to kiss her jaw and her neck, so too did I move my hand down the outside of her leg. She gasped as my hand glided back up the inside of her other leg, gently massaging her inner thigh, ever so slowly creeping toward her warm center. Through the thin fabric, I could feel that she was already moist, anticipating the sensation of being touched for the first time. I pushed her thong down so that I could lightly trace her – _holy hell… bare_ – lips.

"You little minx," I whispered in her ear with a smile as I gently stroked between her lips, causing her to throw her head back and emit the first explicative I ever heard her utter.

"Oh _shit_, that feels so good, Edward."

"You haven't felt anything yet," I boasted, full of confidence that was undeserved until that point, and slowly slid a finger inside her. I watched her face to make sure that what she was feeling was still pleasurable, all too aware that getting carried away could result in a painful experience for her.

I was so concentrated on her face that the sudden hand in my pants took me by complete surprise, and I couldn't suppress the growl that sounded when her tiny hand wrapped around and forcefully jerked my cock. "_Fuck_, Bella," I groaned through gnashed teeth.

She thrust against my hand in perfect time with her stroking of my dick. I slid another finger inside her with ease. She was so… ready. I had to slow things down before one of us lost control.

I put my hand over hers to still it, and rolled her onto her back, my fingers still inside of her. "There's still a matter we have to attend to before we…"

Bella knitted her brows, both confused and frustrated.

"I believe it's a requirement to kiss under the mistletoe at Christmas," I quipped as I curled my fingers inside her. She rocked against my hand, a smile spreading across her face in understanding. She let her legs fall open as I licked her swollen center and slid a third finger inside her. We gasped in unison.

When I had tried to save her life earlier that year, I was sure there was nothing in this world that tasted better than her blood. Wrong. _This_ was the most amazing taste. If it could sustain me, I would gladly give up blood for it.

"Edward?"

Her tone could definitely not be interpreted as a moan of pleasure. Stilling my tongue and fingers, I snapped my head up to take in her expression. She didn't _look_ hurt. "Did I hurt you, Bella?" If my heart could beat, it would be racing with fear.

She shook her head. I let out a sigh of relief. "Then what is it, Love?"

"I… um… _want_ you," she gave me a knowing look, though it was tinted red with embarrassment.

I smiled. "I want you, too. Very much."

Placing one last gentle kiss on her down there, I removed my fingers. I kissed up her stomach toward her neck, stopping to say hello to both of her breasts.

She took off my pants and ran her hands up and down my body, as I continued kissing her. Slowly, carefully, we wrapped our legs around each other, and we just… fit, like we were meant to be.

I cupped her face and reminded her of her promise.

"You don't have to worry, Edward. I'm not going to do anything to ruin this. I'll continue to stay on my best behavior, and I'll let you know if I'm even the slightest bit uncomfortable. This is too important to mess up."

"Love, you could never ruin this for me. You're absolutely perfect. I love you so much, Bella."

"I love you, too, Edward."

As she kissed me, I gently squeezed her to my body and guided the tip of my penis inside her. "Are you okay?" I whispered.

"Mmm, yes," she sighed.

I smiled into her hair and gently pushed inside further. Bella quickly inhaled and bit her lip. "Am I hurting you?"

"No, I'm just finding it increasingly difficult to behave myself," she blushed.

"Oh." That took me by surprise. I didn't think it was possible for me to have sex with her while she was human, let alone make it enjoyable for her. "Well, you're doing remarkably well, Love."

"So are you," she coyly flirted, letting the minx come out to play.

I gently rubbed her where I longed to lick again, making sure she was moist enough to take in the rest of my length, which she did with a moan. She felt so _good_. But I couldn't fully give into it. This is where I needed the greatest level of concentration. If I let myself get carried away and thrust too hard, I could shatter her pelvis.

I slowly moved my hips away from hers and very tenderly pushed in again. She gazed at me, a glow on her face, and kissed me as we found a slow, careful rhythm.

Watching her climax sent me over the edge, and I had to clutch the pillow behind her to keep my body in check as I reached my own crescendo. Afterward, we lay wrapped around each other, basking in the afterglow, just like Alice's vision.

"Thank you for my gift, Love," I said with a kiss to her forehead.

"Merry Christmas, Edward."


End file.
